Chap 1 - Before History How do humans develop?

Forming the Complex Society Basic development: Hunting and Foraging Agriculture Complex Society Key issue: surplus capital – WHY? Major development of first complex societies 3500 BCE – 500 BCE

Prehistory Review Guns, Germs and Steel – Why did Eurasia dominate? (What is Eurasia??) What is “history”? Documentation Written records Archaeological discovery Requisite human presence (or “natural” history)

Development of Hominids Animals adapt themselves to environment Hominids adapt environment to themselves What is the difference? How they adapt it Use of tools Language Complex cooperative social structures

Australopithecus “the southern ape” – despite name a hominid Discovery of skeleton, north of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Nicknamed “Lucy” 40% of SWF, 3’5”, 55lb., bipedal, Brain 500 cc (modern human: 1400 cc), limited speech but opposable digit - ??? Estimated date of death: 3.5 million years ago

Lucy!

Later Hominids Homo Erectus, “upright man” Larger brain capacity (1000 cc), improved tool use, control of fire Homo Sapiens, “consciously thinking human” Largest brain, esp. frontal regions most sophisticated tools and social organization Migrations of Homo Erectus and Homo Sapiens WHY start migrating?

Global spread of hominids and Homo sapiens